Know Thyself


A few quotes from the Alice A Bailey books:

Only in the thorough comprehension of the axiom "Know thyself" will come that understanding that enables man to wield the law and know the inner working of the system from the center to the periphery. LOM, p 310

By the proving therefore of the human detail, we lay the ground for the acceptance of the cosmic, solar and planetary knowledge. What is proven true on the small scale opens the door for the understanding of that which exists on a larger scale. "Man, know thyself" is a potent key to the knowledge of Deity and to the workings of divinity. EPI, p 348


  1. The work of each individual aspirant is therefore to arrive at an understanding of: Know_Thyself.jpg
    1. His egoic ray.
    2. His personality ray.
    3. The ray governing his mind.
    4. That governing his astral body.
    5. The ray influencing his physical body.
When he has achieved this fivefold knowledge, he has fulfiled the Delphic injunction: "Know thyself," and can consequently take Initiation. EPI, p 404

The aspirant is told first of all to "know thyself"; he is then told to know the relation of form and soul, and the area covered by his knowledge is that of the three worlds, plus the level upon the mental plane on which his soul is focused. RI, p 288

In the earlier stages on the Path of Discipleship, the disciple works with that measure of the energy of his soul ray to which he can be receptive, plus as much of the energy of the personality ray as is responsive to that soul energy. In doing this a great measure of discrimination can be developed, and it is one of the first places where the value of the injunction, "Know thyself" can be seen. RI, p 709


The old occult injunction which said to a man "Know thyself, for in thyself is to be found all that there is to be known," is still the rule for the wise student. If each one of us would scientifically regard ourselves as centers of force, holding the matter of our bodies within our radius of control, and thus working through and in them, we should have a hypothesis whereby the entire cosmic scheme could be interpreted. The Consciousness of the Atom, p 42

Three times the cry goes out to all the Pilgrims upon the Path of Life: "Know thyself" is the first great injunction and long is the process of attaining that knowledge. "Know the Self" comes next and when that is achieved, man knows not only himself but all selves; the soul of the universe is to him no longer the sealed book of life but one with the seven seals broken. Then when the man stands adept, the cry goes forth "Know the One" and the words ring in the adepts' ears: "Search for that which is the responsible Cause, and having known the soul, and its expression, form, search for THAT which the soul reveals." TOCF, p 1239

Know thyself to be the undying One. TOWM, p 308

The next healing technique is longer and far more abstruse. There is little of it that you will understand; it is entirely related, as far as our theme is concerned, to man himself and to the aphorism: "Man, know thyself." EH, p 709

The oracle has spoken, and down the ages the word has sounded forth: Man, know thyself. This knowledge is the outstanding attainment upon the Path of Discipleship, and the reward of all the work done by Hercules. LOH, p 5

The oracle has spoken and down the centuries the cry has gone forth: "Know thyself". This knowledge is the outstanding attainment upon the Path of Discipleship, and it is seen how sequentially and intelligently Hercules attained this knowledge. LOH, p 209

One of the main means whereby man arrives at an understanding of that great sum total we, call the Macrocosm - God, functioning through a solar system - is by an understanding of himself, and the Delphic injunction "Man, know thyself" was an inspired utterance, intended to give man the clue to the mystery of deity. Through the Law of Analogy, or correspondences, the cosmic processes, and the nature of the cosmic principles are indicated in the functions, structure, and characteristics of a human being. TOWM, p 18

The two most modern groups are the psychologists who work under the Delphic injunction "Man, know thyself", and the financiers who are the custodians of the means whereby man can live upon the physical plane. These two groups necessarily, and in spite of apparent divergences and differences are more synthetic in their foundational aspects, than any of the others. TOWM, p 411